US iPhone and iPad banned, there is nothing to see here, please move on

The US International Trade Commission on Tuesday granted Samsung’s request for an import ban on iPhones and iPads deemed to infringe one of the South Korean company’s standards-essential patents.

The ITC specifically granted a limited import ban and a cease and desist order for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G sold under US carrier AT&T, as they were found to violate a patent relating to 3G wireless technology and the ability to transmit multiple services simultaneously.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that the ITC sent its ban orders to President Barack Obama. He has 60 days to review them. If he does not veto the panel's decision, the orders will go into effect immediately. In a statement to All Things D, an Apple said it was disappointed by the decision and planned to appeal.

"Today’s decision has no impact on the availability of Apple products in the United States. Samsung is using a strategy which has been rejected by courts and regulators around the world," explained Apple. "They’ve admitted that it’s against the interests of consumers in Europe and elsewhere, yet here in the United States Samsung continues to try to block the sale of Apple products by using patents they agreed to license to anyone for a reasonable fee.”

Samsung also issued a statement to All Things D and stressed that the panel's determination confirms Apple’s history of "free-riding on Samsung’s technological innovations".

The ITC’s exclusion orders strictly affect older AT&T iPhones and iPads, so it is a somewhat pointless decision that will not have a crippling impact on Apple or the overall availability of its products in the US. A ban is still a marketing nightmare for any company, though, and it is now up to the White House to either approve or deny the ITC's decision.

With that, in the famous words of Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin from the 1988 film The Naked Gun: "Nothing to see here! Move along, folks!"

Élyse is Los Angeles-based and has a decade of journalism experience. She sticks to technology reporting, with a focus on Apple and Google-related news, and has worked in many forms of media, including newspapers and online. She also holds a MFA in creative writing and a BA in multimedia journalism.